While hailing the Uttarakhand High Court’s ruling on removing encroachments from along the Rispana river in three months, some Dehradun-based activist groups which have remained vocal on the issue for long gave opinions on how to implement the court’s order.
They said that serious steps should be taken to rejuvenate the fast- dying river. Notably, this is not the first time that the court or the administration has taken some steps to rejuvenate the river. Besides, many activist groups, Government officers and lawmakers have over the years endeavoured to save the dying stream. But things have not changed for the better a bit as the river keeps dying.
Speaking to The Pioneer, Abhijay Negi, the founding president of Making A Difference By Being A Difference (MAD), said, “Despite continuous efforts made by us or by the Government over the years, riverbed encroachment remains as serious as ever. Rejuvenating Rispana is also one of the main projects of the Trivendra Singh Rawat Government. The first phase of the campaign has already been launched through pits dug for a massive tree plantation. However, the problem of rehabilitating the encroachers after they are removed remains unsolved. "
Asked about how the removal of encroachment would revive Rispana, he said that it is just an elementary step towards reviving the river. “Constructions, slums are standing in the way of rejuvenating the river. If we talk about encroachment of the Rispana riverbed the Government has already given land to the people living there to settle on, but nothing has come up so far. This is not a political issue. It is a people’s issue as removing encroachment is important for the people living along the river. The place is not at all safe for living. Once the encroachment is removed many steps like rainwater harvesting would start to help the river regain its earlier flow”.
Nitin Pandey, chief coordinator for Citizen of Green Doon said, “The problem will not get resolved only by clearing the encroachment standing in the riverbed. The Government should work to remove encroachment from around the source of the river. Many illegal buildings have come up there over the years. Unless this is done which would free the original flow of the river major steps like afforestation would not start in earnest.”